The invention relates to a device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of a slide door for a vehicle in which the slide door is installed on a side face of the vehicle and the like in order to automatically open and close the slide door by means of drive sources such as motors and the like.
A device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of a slide door of a vehicle has been known, which moves or open and close the slide door so supported as to slide on a side face of the vehicle along its front and back direction by means of motor and the like. According to the device mentioned above, a user intentionally operates an operation means installed near a door lever and a driver""s seat to start the drive source, so that the slide door opens and closes through driving force of the drive source.
Also, there is a trigger means in place of the operation means, which trigger means detects that the slide door moves for a predetermined distance by a hand, starts the drive source at a chance of a movement, and exchanges the manual force to a driving force of the drive source in order to automatically open and close the slide door.
However, according to the conventional device described above, a heavy weight of such slide door and resultantly a load used to drive the heavy slide door is apt to be effected by its position and direction of opening and closing. In particular, when the vehicle considerably slants in its front and back direction along the moving track of the slide door, it is necessary to use a very large hosting force of weight of the slide door and a minus load necessary to break such hoisting force. So it has been difficult to design the automatic opening and closing control device that sufficiently takes into safety consideration
That is, if a load of the slide door is large and a change range of the load is wide, it is necessary to quickly handle such wide range of load change of an output power of a drive means with a sufficient allowance. However, such door drive means has small sensibility for small change of load, so it has been difficult to control a large output power in consideration of safety and preventing a pinch in the slide door.
In particular, when the start time of power drive for slide door is adapted to be automatically determined, it is necessary to have a safety counter measure in consideration of all and any situations of the vehicles, such as a door open and close direction and an open and close position, and a vehicle posture when the slide door opens and closes.
For example, when a chance of exchanging a manual force to an electric power is determined by a door traveled distance, it is very difficult to firmly recognize that manual force moves the slide door. For example, when a slide door slowly moves after the vehicle stops or stands on a moderate slope and the door opens, a drive system for the door automatically changes to an automatic drive one. Consequently, if an auto drive is not used automatic driving force is effected. Such posture of the door widen the door load change width or range or door load itself becomes large, so that it becomes difficult to change a firm manual force for the door to an automatic force.
Specifically because a door traveling direction is straight and along the front and back direction of the vehicle, a door weight effects largely to a control of the moving door when a vehicle stands on a slope. Consequently, it is very important to know, before opening and closing the door, the posture of the parking vehicle, that is, a slant degree of the slope, if any, on which the vehicle is parked.
This invention intends to solve such problem of the prior art. This invention thus can flexibly and safely control the door opening and closing. Another purpose of this invention is to provide a device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle, which effectively carries out a change of drive system from a manual one to an automatic one, correctly changes control conditions and control values according to the position of the slide door, and controls it safely and rapidly, and instantly discriminates an existence of slide door pinch.
In order to attain the purposes of this invention, the device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle comprises a door drive means having a reversible motor, a motor load detection means for detecting a motor load of the door drive means, a door position detection means for detecting a position of the slide door which is guided by a the guide track within a range from a full-open to a full-close positions of the slide door, a door speed detection means for measuring a movement speed of the slide door, a memory means for memorizing the motor load of each position of the slide door of the vehicle standing at its normal posture (horizontal level) concerning, and a motor control means for controlling power supplied to the motor base on the defected motor speed and; a deviation between a motorload memorized correspondingly to a predetermined position of the slide door and a motor load for moving the slide door at the present position.
Also, in order to attain the purposes of this invention, the device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle comprises a door drive means having a reversible motor, an electromagnetic clutch for intermittently connecting the motor to the slide door so as to tranfer the driving force of the motor to the slide door, a door speed detection means for measuring the movement speed of the slide door, and an electric door drive start means for engaging the electro-magnetic clutch to connect the motor to the slide door and for driving the motor, when the movement speed detected by the door speed detection means is within a predetermined range of a movement speed previously set while stopping the motor.
Still also, in order to attain the purposes, the device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle comprises a door drive means having a reversible motor, a door position detection means for detecting a position of the slide door guided by the guide track within a range from a full-open to a full-close positions of the slide door, a door existence area dividing means for dividing the range from a full-open position to a full-close position on the basis of the position data detected by the door position detection means, into the predetermined plural door existence areas, a door change element detection means for detecting a door change element by changing the sampling resolutions of the data detection position at each door existence area, and a motor control means for controlling the motor by differently setting the control standards of the door change elements at each door existence area.
Still also, in order to attain the purposes, the device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle comprises a door drive means having a reversible motor, a motor load detection means for detecting a motor load of the door drive means on the basis of a drive current or a drive voltage of the motor, or the electric values of the drive current and the drive voltage, a memory means for memorizing the electric value of the motor load to open or close the slide door as the vehicle at a level posture, and a slope judgement means for calculating a deviation of the motor load by comparing the electric value of the motor load at a level posture, which value is memorized in the memory means, with another electric value of the motor load detected in ordinary opening or closing the slide door and for discriminating the posture of the vehicle in opening or closing the slide door on the basis of the calculated deviation between both electric values of the motor load.
Still also, in order to attain the purposes, the device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle comprises a door drive means having a reversible motor, a door speed detection means for intermittently detecting the movement speed of the slide door with a predetermined time interval, an over speed detection means for detecting an over speed adaptability difference by detecting continuously at least several times the over speed values, which are higher than the upper limit value allowable with reference to the target speed of the slide door, an under speed detection means for detecting an under speed adaptability difference by detecting continuously at least several times the under speed values which are lower than the lower limit value allowable with reference to the target speed of the slide door, an adjustment volume control means for suitably adjusting an adjustment volume for correcting the target speed on the basis of the over speed adaptability difference or the under speed adaptability difference in accordance with the target speed, an adjustment volume re-adjusting means for reflecting the adjustment volume according to the over speed adaptability difference or the under speed adaptability difference, at least one time, on the motor control, as well as for suitably re-adjusting the adjustment volume of the over speed or the under speed according to the movement situation of the slide door, a motor control means for controlling the drive force of the motor in accordance with the adjustment volume adjusted by the adjustment volume control means or the adjustment volume re-adjusting means.
Still also, in order to attain the purposes, the device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle comprises a door drive means having a reversible motor, a motor load detection means for detecting a correspondence data of a motor load of the door drive means, a door position detection means for detecting a position of the slide door guided by the guide track within a range from a full-open to a full-close position of the slide door, a memory means for memorizing the correspondence data concerning the position of the slide door, with reference to the correspondence data detected by the motor load detection means, in a predetermined sampling region address-appointed by the detection position of the door position detection means, a correspondence data study means for suitably correcting the read-out correspondence data on the basis of the correspondence data lastly detected every time that the correspondence data memorized in the memory means is read out in the address of the last sampling region, and studying the corrected data as the correspondence data of the motor load to be newly memorized, and a pinch judgement means for reading out the correspondence data memorized in the sampling region advanced at a suitable number of the regions along the movement direction from the other sampling region in which the slide door exists; calculating in necessary the read-out correspondence data and the correspondence data of the sampling region in which the slide door exists, in order to determine a forecast value of the correspondence data forecasted along the movement direction; and judging, on the basis of a deviation between the forecast value and the correspondence data of the sampling region in which the slide door exists, whether there is a pinch or not.
Consequently, according to this invention, it is possible to provide a device for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the slide door for the vehicle, which memorizes a normal time motor load concerning the open position and the close position of the slide door, and which controls correctly by using the memory, the motor load detected value, the door movement detected value, the position detected value, each corresponding to a vehicle posture on a slope and the sudden load change due to a pinch and the like, without an over power reaction, and by which thus heavy slide door can be safely and quickly driven.
Still also, according to this invention, the door drive force can be exchanged from the manual to the automatic operation force only within a predetermined relatively stable speed range of the middle level excepting a low speed not attained by the manual operation and excepting a high speed like one occurring when the vehicle stands on a downward slope and is too dangerous for the manual operation.
Still also, according to this invention, it is possible to quickly and safely control the door opening and closing. When the slide door is placed at the position necessitating safety, a quick resolution of detecting danger is needed. A feedback value for the feedback control to the motor is increased. When the slide door can be placed at a less dangerousness condition, a resolution picking up the door position data is made broad, a feedback value for the motor feedback control is made as small as possible or zero in order to carry out a control of higher swiftness and flexibility.
Still also, according to this invention, it is possible to easily detect a slant degree of the slope or of the vehicle without usage of a special slant measurement sensor.
Still also, it is possible to carry out intermittently the chance of detecting the door movement speed and determine a suitability difference corresponding to a feedback value for applying a minus feedback to the motor control when two times or more of the over speed or the under speed, which are intermittently detected, are continually detected, so that the over speed condition and the under speed condition can be firmly detected. Furthermore, because the suitability difference is not directly used as a feedback value for the motor control and it is possible to suitably adjust it according to the target speed, it is possible to adjust a widening of the suitability difference so as to reach swiftly the target speed in the case where the slide door stands on a relatively safe position. Furthermore, because this device has the adjustment volume re-adjustment means for re-adjusting the adjustment volume according to the door movement situation, it is possible to again adjust the door speed according to different speeds of the door response by reflecting the first adjustment volume generated the over speed or the under speed on the motor. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the slide door from moving too fast due to a steep slope on which the vehicle stands and an over feedback such as an overshoot generated due to a response delay of a transmission mechanism for transmitting power of the motor to the slide door, resulting in a smooth and swift control of the motor speed always.
Still also, because the motor load data for the door drive has been memorized according to the door position, a predetermined or known motor load data of a door position at a time of a pinch occurring can be used, the known motor load data is previously read and the situation is judged by forecasting any change of the known data, it is possible to swiftly detect a pinch after the door moves a short distance and to safely manage and control the slide door.